SEWING TIPS

SEWING TIPS AND TRICKS

You dream of beautiful, neat seams, pretty finishes and perfect "sewjobs"... Here are a few simple "tips" (among many others!) that will help you get started... Some points will also be covered in more detail in future sewing tutorial sheets.

Choose beautiful materials:

Choose beautiful fabrics and don't forget that the garment will be worn and washed many times. A quality fabric will be more pleasant to sew, it will resist better, won't move during washing and will be comfortable to wear. You may be a "super" seamstress, but if you work with a low-end fabric, the result will often be disappointing. And remember to always wash and iron your fabrics before sewing them. Indeed, some fabrics shrink a lot during the first wash.

Basting

It is sometimes a bit complicated to hold the pieces in place for assembly, for example when assembling a collar or a sleeve.

I advise you to baste, it only takes a few minutes but allows for more precise seams. This way you temporarily assemble the pieces by sewing long stitches by hand with a contrasting colored thread. Once the final seam is finished, remove the basting.

Remember to backstitch

When you start a stitch, start by sewing 2-3 stitches forward, stop and make 2-3 stitches backward. Then continue sewing to the end. At the end of the stitch, also make 2-3 stitches backward before cutting the thread. These backstitches help to lock the thread so that the seam does not unravel.

Iron the seams

Iron the seams as you go to place, secure, orient or spread the seams... This will make the rest of the process easier and the final result much neater.

Thinning seams

For nice finishes, reduce seam allowances and thin them if necessary. Reduce allowances to 3 mm at corners, collars, etc... Cut corners, make slits along curved edges and notch rounded edges. The edges will thus be neat and thin.

Consult my tutorial sheet: trimming a seam to learn more.

Care for finishes and personalize

For example... Make pretty topstitching in tone-on-tone or with a contrasting colored thread to add a little hold to the work and/or is simply decorative.

Personalize your creations by adding piping, lace, pretty buttons, small bows... to your work.

And don't hesitate to dare to combine different fabrics, colors or patterns to make your creation a unique piece.

Happy sewing!

Lydie